The existence of God, or the divinity of Jesus, cannot be proved or disproved using intellectual argument.  C.S. Lewis asserts that we have an "incurably abstract intellect."
  This intellect, along with the five senses, forms a barrier against letting total reality get through to us. If we cannot see, smell, touch, hear or taste God then our mind, our intellect, tells us God does not exist. But our senses equip us only to experience the physical world around us; to tell us what is real and what is not.    If one comes into contact with something foreign to one's experience, memory, assumptions or preconceived ideas and if at least one of the senses doesn't transmit positive information to the brain, then one is likely to dismiss whatever it is as an aberration.  We would also consider ourselves as being "sensible" for recognizing such supposed aberrations and rejecting them.  
  It is no wonder then that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." 1Cor.2:14.
  No where is that more true than in the realm of science. Science rejects spirituality because it cannot be measured or proved in the laboratory.  Richard Dawkins, British evolutionary biologist said, "Many of us (scientists) saw religion as harmless nonsense.  Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people need a crutch for consolation, where's the harm?"  Dawkins also said with unbridled condescension, "(Religious) Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence.  Faith is belief in spite of, or even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence."
  He is snared by his own words because scientists have great faith in the unproved theory known as the  "Big Bang."  Where is the evidence?  Until the 1920's scientists believed that the universe consisted entirely of the Milky Way galaxy though it is now known there are billions of galaxies. And, until the early 1900's it was thought the universe was static although later investigation showed the universe is actually expanding. Then, later, astronomers thought the expansion was slowing until they proved it was actually accelerating. What is the universe expanding into? Is there Super-Space beyond the space containing the universe?  Science cannot answer the question of what existed before the Big Bang and how the whole thing started. Dr.Dawkins, in a rare moment of humility, admitted, "I don't know how (it all started), nor does anyone else."
   I am one of those you look down on, Dr. Dawkins, but may I offer a possibility? Isn't it possible that the Bible has been right all along? I believe that, in the future, when all investigations have been completed, that will be the only and final conclusion.  In the meantime, I have all the convincing evidence of God's creative power that I need. Whether God used evolution or the Big Bang or anything else you come up with I believe that you, Dr. Dawkins, and your fellow scientists, will arrive at the same truth.
   I don't mean to mock science. Far from it. I am fascinated by all the discoveries being made. My point is that science is constantly changing whereas the Word of God is forever. The Bible is not a scientific book and is not in competition with science; it deals with spiritual and practical matters.  Christians are not stupid because they are not scientists or because they choose to believe as they do. There is one point of contention: Scientists claim to know what happened a millisecond after the Big Bang; Christians know what happened before it ocurred and scientists do not.

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   In spite of common sense to the contrary, our congress and president have involved our country in another war. What unmitigated nonsense. Has our government not been spending fast enough to send us into bankruptcy? Is this another attempt to make the world safe for oil companies? Libya is no threat to the our country. Is this part of some secret stragety to isolate Iran? If our involvement is, as the U.S.propagandists say, a humanitarian neccessity  then why has the U.S. all but ignored the horrific genocide in Darfur?  How do funds magically appear for these foolhardy military adventures and yet are not available for feeding the millions of children in our own country who do not have enough to eat?  Would you walk by and ignore hungry children on your way to deliver tons of food to Afghanistan and other countries?  That is what's happening with our government.
   "The U.S. has not just misplaced its priorities.  When the most powerful country ever to inhabit the earth finds it so easy to plunge into the horrors of warfare but almost imossible to find adequate work for its people or to properly educate its young, it has lost its way entirely."  Bob Herbert, NY Times columnist.
  The Arab League was quite happy for the U.S. and other non-Arab countries to risk their pilots to provide a no-fly zone. Then that same League complained that the Allies took the mandate too far. Although Arab countries have planes made in America and pilots trained here, only two (French) planes from the tiny Arab country of Qatar are in combat. These mid-East countries are made up of various tribes, Shiites and Sunnis, all of whom have their own ideas about freedom and government which don't coincide with Western democracy. The Muslim Brotherhood and the Al Queda are supporting the rebels and the U.S.in the position of fighting for these organizations in Libya and against them in Afghanistan.. What irony. You can be sure the rebels, if they are successful, will do what they feel is best for them and that doesn't include being beholden to the U.S.  They will continue to regard us as the Great Satan.  They don't hesitate to work with who they consider to be the devil to pull their fat out of the fire.
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  Jeffrey Sachs, professor of economics at Columbia University, recently had this to say, "Washington is unrealistic. They are not talking about real things like military spending and entitlement programs.  Instead, Congress and President Obama seem set on cutting civilian discretionary spending, including education, that directly impacts mainstream America."
  "There is such a disconnect between what American people say, and what Washington does, you wonder if this is a democracy.  The American people say, 'get out of Afghanistan, stop wasting money on the military, raise taxes on the rich and (opt for a) public option on health care.  Of course, the interests, the powers that be oppose all of that."
  "I think we are in a decline because our political class is so dishonest right now and so disconnected from American values that we are not finding a way forward.  In the long term America will continue in decline as long as we play these games."  Amen,  brother.
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   General Electric made a profit of $14 billion in 2010; $5 billion of that was earned in the U.S.  GE did not have to pay any U.S. taxes. Not a single penny. Nothing.  Jeffrey Immelt, chief executive of GE, is also  leader of President Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.  Imagine that. What a cozy little coincidence.
  The Time's David Kocieniewski reported, "Its (GE's) extraordinary success is based on an aggresive strategy that  mixes fierce lobbying for tax breaks and innovative accounting that enables it to concentrate its profits off-shore."
  This kind of skullduggery will go on whether there are Repubs, Democrats or chimpanzees in Congress;
Wall Street, the Military, Corporations and Unions control the government.
God help us.

My number one source for Headlines Subject to Unintended Interpretation is our own Lufkin Daily News. The latest: "Duo Found Guilty of Animal Cruelty for Fighting Chickens." Why didn't these men pick on someone their own size? As we can see from the abundant carcasses in supermarkets, chickens are virtually defenseless. To even the odds, I say tie down these men, cover them with chicken feed and turn a flock of their feathered opponents loose on them.

Article below is from the Houston Chronicle (From my files. Date unknown but something like this plays out every day)

"Sammilu Williamson Evans was the graceful and elegant beauty queen with girl-next-door charm, but somewhere within her sculpted beauty she grappled with private demons. The 46-year-old woman who won a string of beauty contests in the 1960s and 1970s, stepped off the balcony of her posh Galleria-area condominium Wednesday. Police said she had been drinking before the fall from the 23rd floor of the Bristol condominium. Family and friends were left wondering why the woman who had it all would end her life."

(Italics mine)
All? All what? Beauty. riches, fame; the popular notion of what constitutes "having it all." But these could not protect Ms. Evans from "private demons" because she apparently had few, if any, spiritual defenses. When there was no more adulation, and applause and beauty had faded, riches were very cold comfort for loneliness and loss of identity. She no longer knew who she was. Life and beauty queen had become synonymous to her. When she was no longer beauty queen, life lost its meaning. Why go on?

If having an abundance of the pleasure and treasure that the World offers is the ultimate key to happiness then celebrities and the rich and famous should be the happiest people on earth. There is ample evidence that they are not.

Jesus said "What profit is there if you gain the whole world and lose eternal life? What can be compared to eternal life?" What indeed? Yet, many are gambling that there is nothing after this life. They want what they want and they want it Now!

It's popular to (figuratively) beat up on Hollywood, the media, liberals, humanists, politicians, etc. for what's spiritually wrong with our country. Sure; some of them are part of the problem but perhaps we need to look closer to home for who is really to blame. According to statistics more than 75% of Americans maintain that they are Christians. Based on that, the U.S. is generally portrayed as a Christian nation. I disagree with that idea. I've given my reasons and said my piece about that in earlier blogs.

Is there a noticeable gap between what Christians profess and how they act? There are those inside and outside the faith that will answer with a resounding Yes. We are supposed to be imitators of Christ, sharing the good news of salvation, visiting the sick and prisoners in jail, clothing and feeding those in need, turning the other cheek, being humble before God, allowing ourselves to be moved by the Holy Spirit into the will of God, serving others in the spirit of true agape love, etc. OK; I admit I don't measure up. Of course there are those who quietly go about God's work under the radar of recognition and personal glory. But,religious writers and critics say, these are in the minority. The majority are biblicaly illiterate and have not been discipled. This results in producing lukewarm evangelism, "silent Christians" and "Diet Christianity" guaranteed to limit spiritual growth. Some television preachers have substituted "positive thinking" for faith.

The 13th chapter of 1Corinthians, the "Love Chapter," has been used so many times at weddings some think it applies only to marriage and that Paul wrote it for that purpose. Not so. It is Christ as LOVE; a personification of the kind of love Christians should have for each other and to demonstrate to all those they come into contact with. Apparently some of us Christians have failed to read the memo. Pat Robertson has portrayed God as vengeful; saying God caused disasterous hurricanes to punish America because of homosexuals.  There were hurricanes for thousands of years before America existed. Was God just practicing?

We don't have to go around in an animal skin, carrying a staff and calling down the wrath of God to show we are serious about our faith. Consider this example: Following hurricane Katrina, an avowed atheist wrote to the British left-wing Guardian Weekly asking , "why Christians are the people most likely to take the risks and make the sacrifices involved in helping others. It ought to be possible to live the Christian life without being a Christian or, better still, to take Christianity a la carte. Yet, it is impossible to doubt that faith and charity go hand in hand." All kinds of organizations were involved helping in the aftermath of the hurricane but it was the actions of Christians that were recognized by the atheist. Even the New York Times described how the church groups were doing a better job than government agencies and didn't object (!) that when those "doing temporary repairs and cleaning up debris give homeowners a signed Bible and pray with them."
Jesus, with 12 ordinary men, "turned the world upside down." (Acts 17:6) with a message of salvation, peace and love. We can't all go to sites of devastation to put our Christianity into action but we can all continue the work of turning the world upside down where ever we are and whoever we are.  We don't need a seminary degree to demonstrate agape love or to do simple acts of kindness and courtesy inspired by the spirit of Jesus.
We can't leave evangelism entirely to the clergy or wrap our cloaks of righteousness about us and take refuge in church services and expect the Good News to flow into the world by osmosis. It won't happen.
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Many, perhaps most, Americans are cheering for those people in the mideast rebelling against dictators and for democracy, envisioning that if they attain it, it will be just like the democracy we enjoy. Consider that a poll in Egypt found that 84% of Egyptians favored the death penalty for anyone who leaves the Muslim faith.
What kind of democracy will that be?  Shiites and Sunnis may have a common enemy now but they have been at odds for hundreds of years and are not likely to suddenly come together after the shooting stops.  .
 Nature abhors a vacuum and if the rebellions are successful, the leadership positions must be quickly filled or chaos will result. The turmoil is a long way from being over in Egypt.
The rebels in Libya are asking for American air raids against troops loyal to the Libyan dictator.  Mr. President, don't do it. It would put the U.S.in an absolute no-win position.  Send humanitarian aid but do not risk anymore of our military as is being done in Afghan and Iraq. (Since I wrote the above comments, Britain sent a small mission group of diplomats and commandos who secretly parachuted into Libya to talk with the rebel leaders. They were arrested and temporarily detained on suspicion of being enemy mercenaries.  Baffled by their unfriendly reception, they are now back in Britain with perhaps a little better understanding of who and what the West will be dealing with if they foolishly get involved

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" The (Arkansas) Secretary of State's race pits a Democratic candidate who says he has detailed ideas for the office and a Republican candidate who says he has few plans and that's the way it should be."  Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 9/19/2010
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"M. B., 82, has been given a ticket and fined $1,103 after an Oregon state trooper clocked her driving 110 mph in a 55mph zone."  You Go Granny. NASCAR is calling.
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A news article says that Jennifer Aniston has changed her hair style.  Who is this woman and why is the world being kept up-to-date on her coiffures? I know she's an actress but the question remains.

"We need too have a vote on it (Obamacare repeal) because we promised the people we would," Senator John McCain, R-AZ, said Sunday on "Face the Nation" on CBS. "We have to have a vote on repeal so that everybody is on record whether they want repeal" (Lufkin Daily News, 1/24/11)
If you are hoping that Obamacare will survive the recent turnover in Congress, relax; all is well. But, if you are hoping the Repubs will force repeal of Obamacare you're out of luck. They won't succeed in their bogus attempt to repeal it because insurance and pharma companies, huge donors to the Repub party, don't want it repealed. House Repubs will make a great smoke and mirrors show of fulfilling their campaign promise of voting to repeal the law knowing full well that it won't get by the Democratically controlled Senate. If it should, Mr. Obama will veto it. Then the elephants can say, "See? We tried but those stubborn ol' donkeys wouldn't cooperate." Business as usual.

If we put our ultimate trust in anyone or anything other than God we are sure to be disappointed.

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I noticed in an NFL ad that the play-off games were being seen by our armed forces in 175 countries.

a.) I didn't know there are 175 countries

b.) What business do we have putting our troops in those countries? Who made us the
world's police force?

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The Pope recently said he was shocked to hear that Christians have been killed in Egypt and other Muslim countries. With all due respect to your exalted position, sir, you should know this is not something new. It has been going on for centuries and will continue until.......?

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A small Christian group has been persuaded by Harold Camping, who heads up evangelistic Family Radio, that the world is coming to an end on May 21, 2011. (Time mag Jan. 4, 2011) Mr. Camping made a similar prediction that was to take place on Sept. 6, 1994. Did that happen and I missed it?

The group under Mr. Camping's wing is distributing flyers about the "coming" event and feverishly trying to inform the public before it's too late. Evangelism is good but I don't think this is the way to go about it.

Jesus said that no one knows the date when the world will end; not even Jesus. Yet, people will continue to believe they have found secret codes in the Bible that enable them to figure out the date. Even Isaac Newton, the great English scientist, spent years poring over the scriptures and eventually thought he had determined a date for the end of the world. God had something to say about this in Isaiah 44:25. "I am the one who shows what liars all false prophets are, by causing something else to happen than the things they say. I make wise men give opposite advice to what they should, and make them into fools." No matter how devoted and sincere decoders and self-appointed prophets are, no one can know the mind of God except the Spirit of God.

We are to be spiritually ready for whatever happens, not frightened or worried about the apocalypse. "Be not afraid; only believe" Mark 5:36
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According to recent news articles, cursive writing will soon be as unintelligible as Elizabethan English is to most of us. Cursive is sooo twentieth century. Just think; people over thirty will be able to write messages in cursive that will be a mystery to the youngsters now in school. And if the cursive document includes correct grammar it will be a double mystery. On the other hand, I confess that twitter (tweet? twert? twizzle?) language might as well be Chinese to me.
lol, bff. There; did I just say something nice or gross?**********************************************
Cleaning out our house after Nita's death, I threw or gave away hundreds (literally) of things that had been accumulated over the 60 years of our marriage. Included were plaques representing awards of various kinds. After my departure from this vale of tears no one would remember (even my memory was a little hazy about some of them) or care what they were for. I was not the least bit sentimental about them so into the dust bin they went. This led me to wonder: what, if anything, of worth and endurance would I leave behind?

My name? The Marsellos family name will disappear with the passing of my son. Not always succesfully because of all my multitude of weaknesses, I have tried to uphold the name without stain and I know he is doing, and will continue, to do the same. In the areas of father, husband, grandfather, etc., architect, poet, novelist, artist, Christian, etc., I can say without false modesty and with complete honesty that I have never felt I was more than average. ( One definition of average: The best of the worst and the worst of the best. Ugh.) Paul said we are not to think better of ourselves than we ought.

Does life have a point or is it only a collection of random events? Do we have a reason for being or are we like a weather vane, doing our job as we and others see it but being moved only by the vagarious winds? I firmly believe we have free will but is there some Grand Scheme in which, under the right conditions, my free will ultimately blends with God's will for His purposes?

It can occur at any age but middle age seems the time when many examine their progress in life. I know I did. I found that I was, so to speak, "Weighed in the balances and found wanting." (Daniel 5:27) I had no spiritual weight at all. For me, life was bleak and without real satisfaction. There are numerous ways to temporarily cover up spiritual hunger and deficiencies: appearing religious (talking the talk. I was very good at that), church attendance in body but not in spirit, denial that anything is missing, alcohol, illicit sex, drugs, work, pride (remember the Pharisees? Nothing wrong with us. We're sons of Abraham), gathering possessions, etc., but only one way to level the balances.

Jesus said to Nicodemus (and us), "You MUST be born again." There is no wiggle room in this statement; it is absolute. Take it or leave it; there's no middle ground. It will do no good to stand before God and say,"I was an Eagle Scout" or "I attended every church service all my life" or "My grandfather was a preacher" or "Our family is very prominent. We have always been good people and contributed millions to good causes." Fine. Wonderful. Congratulations. But, none of that matters unless you have been born again.

All of the above leads to a dream I had recently. In the dream I was conversing with a group of people; none that I recognized. I don't know if there were 2 people or 20. But I distinctly and clearly remember that I declared,

"I know why I was born! It was so I could lead (---?---) to Christ!"

The name of the person was a blur. Was it someone I had the privilege to influence for Jesus in the past or someone in the near future? I don't know. But I do know the joy I felt to have the confirmation of the reason for my existence. Everything else in my life has only been background.

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"Now the God of hope give you all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit" Romans 15:13

Every time I smell the odor of Vicks it immediately takes me back to my childhood and memories of my stepmother spreading the salve on my chest and throat when I had a cold. On occasion she made me swallow a spoonful of the stuff for a sore throat. I don't know if the Vicks did any good but the touch of my stepmother's hand was always soothing when I was ill. What is more comforting than a mother's touch? When that is no longer available we still enjoy the warm touch of a spouse, friend, child, etc. It is good to remember to share that with others when the opportunity is available..

LaNell and I have the privilege of serving communion, once a month, to residents of a local retirement home. Most of the residents are widows or widowers, in their 70's to 90's; some without any living relatives. We make it a practice to touch the hands or shoulders of the women and men when they receive the elements. It reinforces our efforts to show that we care. LaNell has been led to kiss the forehead of some of the women and the recipients responded with tears. It's something they have not experienced in years.

God's spirit is present there in abundance. When we leave we feel we have gained more than those we came to minister to.

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

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Jesus said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth."

A preacher who has spoken in countries around the world said he has been to many remote and isolated places. Some were accessible only by riverboat, horseback or airplane. But every where he went he saw Coca Cola signs. So, he thought, the uttermost part of the earth must be somewhere beyond the ubiquitous Coca Cola signs.

In 1996 he preached in a Russian city 1600 miles northeast of Moscow, deep in Siberia. He looked around the city and not one Coca Cola sign was to be found. This indeed must be the uttermost part of the earth. Yet, at each home he visited, the host would proudly show him a Gideon bible printed in Russian; distributed by Russian Gideons. (Note: The Bible distributed by the Gideons is the Holy Bible, not an interpretation by the Gideons. Gideons are Christian laymen and members of evangelical churches throughout the world.)

It is estimated that, out of the 6 billion people on earth, 1.5 billion have never read the bible or heard the gospel. Among those are people in the U.S. and in your city wherever you are; maybe your next door neighbor.

When our church proposed a building to house a separate contemporary service it met with stout resistance from some longtime members who still refer to it as "that other church." Yet, in spite of the selfish objections, the service has prospered and there are now some young men and women members who previously had not set foot in a church or read the bible. My own voiced opinion about the service before it was implemented was, "If just one person receives Christ in that service, it is worth any amount of difficulty or expense." Luke 15:8 "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."

The Gideons organization has distributed millions of bibles in countries around the world, even beyond the Coca Cola signs, resulting in many decisions for Christ. 1.5 billion persons seems an insurmountable number to witness to. But Jesus knew it would be possible if those who have received the Holy Spirit will use the power He has given them. Otherwise He would not have commanded it to happen. (Acts 1:8) And who has received the Holy Spirit? Everyone who has confessed Christ as their Savior. The most effective method of witnessing is one on one.
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Before embarking on a long road trip we ask God to send angels to protect us as we travel and to keep us from inadvertently doing harm to anyone. I don't pray to angels. They are ministering spirits; created by God. They only obey God. Neither do I pray to saints, the Apostles or Mary. For any of them to answer prayer they would have to be equal with God. They're not.
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In Las Vegas it is unlawful to pawn false teeth.
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When Mr. Obama was elected I wrote in a blog that Americans would not like the "changes" he would promote. Bingo. I also wrote that beneath his shining armor we would find a Chicago politician, Double bingo. Thirdly, I said he would be unable to keep his promise to change Washington and that change would only happen when Jesus returns. Triple bingo. Shortly thereafter I stated that the Democrats seemed determined to self-destruct. For the sake of our country I take no pleasure that I happened to be right on these issues. Who is going to right our ship of state and keep it from sinking further?
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Add to the former list of celebrities: alligator hunters, pawn brokers, pastry bakers, loggers, motorcycle builders, wrestlers and ballroom dancers. If you don't find yourself among these I counsel patience because new categories are opening every day. Who knows? Someday there may even be one for dippy old men who write blogs.

A Holy and Merry Christmas to all.

save

Have you noticed how many celebrity categories there are now? In addition to the usual high society, sports and Hollywood types we now have celebrities in new categories: Gamblers, (Poker Stars,) Cooks, (Paula Dean et al), Chefs (as distinguished from mere cooks), Miners (Ecuador), Political Malefactors (former governor of Illinois; former N. Y. D.A.), Mothers of Large Broods (minimum of eight, please), GlenBeckers et al, Passengers on Interrupted Cruise Voyages, Real (?) Housewives (outfitted in ensembles that cost thousands and make Beaver's mother look like a bag lady), etc.. Artist Andy Warhol, himself a celebrity, said "Everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame." Have you had yours? Be patient.


Charles Rangel (D, NY, very popular in Harlem) is a prime example of why there needs to be term limits for members of Congress. A member of the House for 40 years he is finally being brought before a House Ethics Committee on charges of misconduct. ("House Ethics;" Isn't that an oxymoron?) Failure to pay income taxes on property he owns is only one of the charges. Rangel claims he is innocent and will not resign. Shame is a concept un known in Congress.

Mickey Rooney is 90 years old! Rooney, 50% egotist; 50% imp and 100% talent, was born to a vaudeville couple and began his show business career at the tender age of 17 months. Married 8 times he said, "Always get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day."

His other pastime was gambling. He confessed, "I lost $3 on a horse and spent a million dollars trying to get it back."


Benjamin Franklin asked an intriguing question, "If all your friends were blind, what would your house look like?" Many Americans take their design cues from "the mansion on the hill." Big is good; lavish is better. It's a sure sign that you have "arrived." On the frontier, settlers lived in one room log cabins or, on the plains, in dugouts. As soon as they could afford better they built something like they had back east. Moving up-scale has been a national ambition.
That upward movement has crested and the latest economic melt-down may change buying habits as the Great Depression did when people discovered they could do with less, --- a lot less and delayed gratification was not a form of torture. The lay-away plan was born. Thrift and frugality were seen, not as being "cheap" but as real virtues. My children learned an old New England saying, "Use it up; Wear it out; Make it do or Do without." Of course they never did without any of the necessities of life.
Except for the wealthy, the average new house will soon be 1800 square feet or less. Separate, rarely used formal dining rooms, family rooms, powder rooms, huge bathrooms, butler pantries, etc. will go by the wayside. Combining kitchen, dining and living room is becoming more in vogue. Smaller space means smaller utility bills and conservation of natural resources. If one cannot be happy and content in a 1800 s.f. house they will very likely not be happy in a 5000 s.f. house. Besides, real satisfaction and contentment arise from a spiritual relationship: building our "house" on the solid Rock of Jesus.
Fashion Forecast
For men: Look for the appearance of shoes in colors beyond black and brown. Red, blue and purple shoes will soon become more popular. And why not? Years ago (before the Elvis Presley era) I had a pair of blue suede shoes. I'm still looking for another pair. Red would be OK.
For women: Lower hemlines; mid-calf or to the ankles. Hats are coming back; some modeled after the 'cloche' hat, so popular in the 20's and the Depression. Appropriate for the present economic situation.
Oooookay; the Repubs are back in power,--well, sort of. After slathering their constituents with the whipped cream of promises soon forgotten after election, they appear to be gazing at each other with that, "Now what?" look. In their slash and burn drive to make the world safe for big banks and corporations they seem to have overlooked something essential: A comprehensive, clear-cut plan to help bring the country (the USA) out of the economic Sargasso Sea we are drifting in. Can any of them say "bi-partisan?"

Recently I was reminded of some home remedies I was subjected to as a child. My step-mother was a great believer in the efficacious properties of various folk potions to cure whatever might ail me and my brother. One such potion that I remember, with a shudder, was supposed to alleviate colds and coughing. It consisted of sliced onions, covered with sugar, allowed to age on the back of the wood-burning range until a thick malodorous syrup formed. A teaspoon of it was administered every time I coughed. I nearly suffocated trying to suppress coughs.



One cannot imagine the uniquely horrible taste of this concoction. It must be experienced to fully appreciate the sulfurous aroma and the reaction of the gag reflex. No amount of resistance, crying or protest spared me from what was adamantly stated as,"good for you." Ingesting that stuff may be why I'm so goofy today.



Another form of torture, left over from the Spanish Inquisition no doubt, was the infamous mustard plaster. This was applied to my bare chest for a "deep chest cold." The plaster consisted of dry mustard and burning embers (at least that's what it felt like) mixed together and covered with a cloth. It stuck to the skin like searing glue and when finally removed it took the top layer of skin with it.



Perhaps those remedies were not as bad as a Spring tonic forced on a friend of mine as a child. His grandmother would fill a mason jar with rusty nails and then pour vinegar over them. After the rust (iron) had time to mix with the vinegar it was considered ready as a tonic to "cleanse the blood."

Of the two, I think I would prefer the onion cocktail.



People then, as now, were doing the best they could with what they knew and what they had. I'm still alive in my 80's so perhaps the folk remedies really were, " good for me."

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In the news recently were the results of a poll taken to see how much Americans know about their particular religion. Result? Not much. In fact, atheists seem best informed.

Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all people. That's pretty difficult if we can't share with others why we believe as we do.

Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.". He was saying that there are some philosophical things that cannot possibly be expressed because of the limits of language, so don't even try. Unknowingly, too many Christians have adopted Wittgenstein's words out of context and feel it best to be silent about their faith. Have you shared your faith with your children? In our flawed and imperfect way we must live out the faith as well or where is the profit?

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From a Chinese calendar:



"Lucky stars will help your development and career to achieve positive returns. Be aware to be haughty and high profile to stimulate those envied enemies who are waiting to chasten your glee. Keep soberly mind to scrutinize unexpected matters or problems. Take action, stop chattering and seek help from others."



I say again I don't believe in fortune telling (the Bible expressly forbids it) and I include this only for the delightful English grammar. Also, this person's English far surpasses my Chinese.

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I suggest you add the following to your morning prayer:



Holy and Righteous Father, I ask that today people see nothing in me but Jesus and are drawn to Him.

Miscellany

Since 2009, thousands of employees have been added to the Fed's ( taxpayer's) payroll. Read that again. Thousands added to the already bloated government bureaucracy. If you have ever tried to maneuver through the mine field of red tape and road blocks, set up by bureaucrats to obscure access to dependable information, you can only imagine the higher level of frustration in store to be brought about by this new surge of bureaucratic troops.

Outrageous!

Molly Norris, Seattle cartoonist who started "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" in support of free speech has been advised by the FBI to go into hiding. A Muslim mufti (Islam scholar/jurist) has issued a "fatwah", or death sentence against her. Molly Norris is being denied her right of free speech in her own country and even the FBI cannot protect her. Few fatwahs are death sentences and a fatwah is not necessarily binding on all Muslims to carry out. But the FBI apparently thinks this situation is dangerous enough that Molly should abandon her home, friends and livelyhood. Using threats of violence and fear are the kind of tactics we can expect from some, but not all, adherents of this religion.
Mohammed means nothing to me but I don't disparage him or moderate Muslims even though the Qur'an (Koran) denies the divinity of Jesus and that he is the Son of God. Any restrictions repecting the depiction of Mohammed are for Muslims and do not apply to non-Muslims just as restrictions of other religions apply only to the adherents of those religions. Fundamentalist Muslims insist that everyone, including non-Muslims, must obey their restrictions.


Still on the subject of religion, a Clayton, NC freshman was sent home from school because of metal objects piercing her face, a practice against school rules. She is claiming religious persecution because she and her mother belong to the "Church of Body Modifications." From what I can find, there really is such a church. It appears to have no spiritual base but does, -- surprise!, ---have a tax-free status with the IRS. Kind of reminds me of comedian Flip Wilson's "The Church of What's Happening Now." I always thought that would be a great name for a church and even suggested it during a church committee brainstorming session. All it did was reinforce my reputation as an eccentric.


In a remarkable change, Belgium has gone from a predominantly Catholic country to a predominantly secular country in one generation. There is outrage among its citizens concerning child molestation by some current and former priests and the arrogant (their word) way the Vatican is handling the situation. Christ has been crucified again and buried in Belgium. But God has declared He will always have a witness and Jesus will rise again in that country.


For the first time, according to a news article in the Lufkin Daily News, whites entering the Univ. of Texas are in the minority. They are outnumbered by a combination of incoming students who are black, oriental and hispanic. My prediction of 2040 as the tipping point in our country, from white to tan, is looking more realistic.


A dear friend of mine died recently of a combination of ailments with emphysema as the main cause. Addiction to tobacco in the form of cigarettes was his undoing. Emphysema also caused the deaths of my brother-in-law and and sister-in-law (not in the same family.) It is an insidious disease and a terrible way to die. Yet, in the U.S., 1 in 5 Americans continue to smoke and tobacco is the cause of death for an average of 1000 people each day.
If you are a smoker: QUIT!!!

Well, Republicans are positively giddy over the prospect of taking control of the House of Reps. I humbly suggest attention of the voters be turned back to those recent years when the Repubs had control of all 3 branches of government. As they grew fat and sassy with power, they abandoned basic Repub principles. Instead, they increased central government, fostered corruption, let the hounds of Wall Street loose on an vulnerable unsuspecting public, launched 2 disasterous wars and ran the national debt into the stratosphere. But, hey; to the victor belongs the spoils, right? They finally had the keys to the candy store and they cleaned it out. The Dems came in and took the paint off the walls; all that was left.
Not to be outdone, the Dems cranked up their Magic Money Machine which is powered by thin air and a cord that reaches all the way to China. It has spewed out a bushels of greenbacks promptly delivered to the UAW, GM, banks, favored unions, favored states, favored organizations that get out the Dem voters, the corrupt Afghanistan and Iraqi governments and only the good Lord knows where else.
I know I appear cynical but having witnessed the revolving door to Congress and the White house spin so many times as the parties passed each other going in and coming out I confess I don't expect any wonderful changes. Same thing; only the names will be different.

Take heed to King Solomon in Proverbs, chapter 29:

Vs. 2 "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Vs. 4 "By justice a king gives stability to the land, but one who makes heavy exactions (taxes) ruins it."
Vs. 18 "When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall."